Using the 'Load Drivers' Option in Windows Installation to Pre-Load All Necessary Drivers?

Sheikh · Feb 11, 2025

During the Windows installation, there's a "Load drivers" option that many users use to recognize the hard drive on laptops with Intel processors. My question is, can other drivers also be added in this way so that we don’t have to install each driver individually after installing Windows? Since drivers with the .inf extension are in the Windows installation folder, can we back them up and use them in the next clean install? Has anyone tested this?

pseymour · Feb 11, 2025

Wouldn't it be easier to just inject the drivers into the install.wim?

andrew129260 · Feb 11, 2025

pseymour said:
Wouldn't it be easier to just inject the drivers into the install.wim?

If doing this isn't easy for you, you could also follow this tutorial:

Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to back up and restore all 3rd party device drivers on your Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC. If you clean install Windows, you will need to install drivers for each device in the system. Some of these device drivers may no longer be available from the manufacturer...

www.elevenforum.com

pseymour · Feb 11, 2025

I was thinking more like hsehestedt's handy little

GitHub - hsehestedt/WIM-Tools: WIM (Windows Image Management) Tools is a set of tools to create, modify, and manage your Windows images

WIM (Windows Image Management) Tools is a set of tools to create, modify, and manage your Windows images - hsehestedt/WIM-Tools

github.com

Sheikh · Feb 11, 2025

pseymour said:
Wouldn't it be easier to just inject the drivers into the install.wim?

Are there any differences after installation? because I can't explain to all my "Q&A website" users about how to inject the drivers to iso file. also, I think this is easier to add drivers during installation...

Sheikh · Feb 11, 2025

Guys! I know how to add drivers with DISM to WIM image or even better, add updates and debloat the iso file. Please just answer my question nothing more. thanks.

pseymour · Feb 11, 2025

Sheikh said:
Just answer my question nothing more. thanks.

Or I can just abandon the thread. Adios.

Sheikh · Feb 11, 2025

pseymour said:
Or I can just abandon the thread. Adios.

NOOOO

I just don't want to waste your time because I've tested other things.
Since English is not my native language and it is quite different from your language, my tone might make you think I'm being rude or ungrateful. However, I just want to express my thoughts in the shortest way possible so that English speakers can better understand what I want. Therefore, if the conversation deviates from my goal, I will try to eliminate the diversion. Sorry if I caused you any distress.

garlin · Feb 11, 2025

A non-DISM method is to create an unattended file on the USB media.

For boot-critical devices, like SATA/NVME/RST controllers, you can copy driver files to USB folder \$WinPeDriver$. This may cause problems with drive numbering, because $WinPeDriver$ drivers are loaded into memory last. Drives 0 & 1 could now be identified as drives 1 & 0.

For non-critical drivers, copy them to the USB's \sources\$OEM$ folders and use DriverPaths to point to a local C: drive folder. Which $OEM$ path is up to you. Setup wll copy everything in the $OEM$ folders to the target disk before it reboots out of WinPE. These drivers will be loaded in the specialize pass.

These are known (and documented) methods for people who don't use DISM integration.

Sheikh · Feb 11, 2025

garlin said:
A non-DISM method is to create an unattended file on the USB media.

For boot-critical devices, like SATA/NVME/RST controllers, you can copy driver files to USB folder \$WinPeDriver$. This may cause problems with drive numbering, because $WinPeDriver$ drivers are loaded into memory last. Drives 0 & 1 could now be identified as drives 1 & 0.

For non-critical drivers, copy them to the USB's \sources\$OEM$ folders and use DriverPaths to point to a local C: drive folder. Which $OEM$ path is up to you. Setup wll copy everything in the $OEM$ folders to the target disk before it reboots out of WinPE. These drivers will be loaded in the specialize pass.

These are known (and documented) methods for people who don't use DISM integration.

if I copy every .inf file to a specific folder named "my drivers" in my bootable flash drive and then, in the installation process I choose the "Load Drivers" option and select all of them, will it do the same thing?

garlin · Feb 11, 2025

Load Driver will only load one driver, because it's only intended to fix the problem of a missing storage controller. WinPE Setup has no other UI option to load drivers for the user. You could open a CMD window with Shift-F10 and run "drvload".

Sheikh · Feb 11, 2025

garlin said:
Load Driver will only load one driver, because it's only intended to fix the problem of a missing storage controller. WinPE Setup has no other UI option to load drivers for the user. You could open a CMD window with Shift-F10 and run "drvload".

Alright so I will not use it.
I've downloaded the latest retail update with UUPdump.net tool. forced it to use DISM to update install.wim, boot.wim and winpe. then I've cleaned up the component store. also I've used this method to ensure having all optimizations. Now I want to use the Rufus to create a "Windows to Go" on my external SSD. then boot from that SSD, install manufacture drivers from my Laptop Support Page, then backup all necessary drivers with DISM to inject them to iso file.
There are plenty of .exe files on support page which I used 7zip to extract and grab .INF and .SYS files for WIFI, Bluetooth & etc. I'm not sure if using this method causes problems or not. maybe some drivers need to install some services and apps to work properly instead of just copying the inf files to windows folder!
Hate using the old method which installs windows, drivers and updates then uses the Sysprep to clean everything related to user account. editing the .iso file using DISM is more professional :)))

x509 · Mar 3, 2025

garlin said:
A non-DISM method is to create an unattended file on the USB media.

Do these instructions apply for an unattended file? Or additions to the boot image files?

garlin said:
For boot-critical devices, like SATA/NVME/RST controllers, you can copy driver files to USB folder \$WinPeDriver$. This may cause problems with drive numbering, because $WinPeDriver$ drivers are loaded into memory last. Drives 0 & 1 could now be identified as drives 1 & 0.

What about Wi-Fi ? For me at least, it has been boot-critical or at least critical to completing an install with connection to my MS account.

garlin said:
For non-critical drivers, copy them to the USB's \sources\$OEM$ folders and use DriverPaths to point to a local C: drive folder. Which $OEM$ path is up to you. Setup wll copy everything in the $OEM$ folders to the target disk before it reboots out of WinPE. These drivers will be loaded in the specialize pass.

garlin · Mar 4, 2025

The best way for making a customized Windows ISO is to directly integrate drivers into the image, using DISM commands or some image modding tool or script (which hides DISM for you). This makes the drivers available to load at the earliest, and it's faster to diagnose storage or network-related problems.

Adding drivers through the Unattended file is still supported, and some users continue to do that. But it's considered an outdated method if you have access to betters tools. Some folks like learning the old ways, but it's not as efficient as driver integration.

Something like DISM++ can help inject drivers for you.

The reason for continued use the Unattended file is to have a flexible library of drivers which can be changed by dropping plain driver files on an ISO folder. For most people, you know what your PC looks like and don't need to support random PC's. So image integration makes the most sense for your level of general expertise.

Sheikh · Mar 4, 2025

the next question is how can I fully integrate drivers into my image? some drivers have services and apps inside the installation wizard package. but this method only backs up inf and sys files.

garlin · Mar 4, 2025

Some installers don't just include drivers, they have "extras" like utilities. You have three options:

1. Wait until post-Setup, and run the full installer using silent install flags. Sometimes this is done through the unattended file (for scheduling), or a SetupComplete.cmd if you don't own a PC with an OEM license key in BIOS.

2. Extract the full installer's folders, but only integrate the base drivers into the image. Wait until post-setup, and run the full installer so the "extras" are properly loaded. Since the drivers are the same in both cases, no harm is done.

3. Boot into audit mode, and run the full installer. Generalize the sysprep, and capture the image. Replace the install WIM with your captured image.

Which method makes sense for you depends on how often you're making new images, and how fast does the driver set change. If you're on older HW, new drivers (outside of security fixes) are doubtful and you can sysprep. On newer HW, your drivers might update quickly in a short time period and you might prefer to install from post-Setup. It's less work for you.

Sheikh · Mar 4, 2025

garlin said:
Some installers don't just include drivers, they have "extras" like utilities. You have three options:

1. Wait until post-Setup, and run the full installer using silent install flags. Sometimes this is done through the unattended file (for scheduling), or a SetupComplete.cmd if you don't own a PC with an OEM license key in BIOS.

2. Extract the full installer's folders, but only integrate the base drivers into the image. Wait until post-setup, and run the full installer so the "extras" are properly loaded. Since the drivers are the same in both cases, no harm is done.

3. Boot into audit mode, and run the full installer. Generalize the sysprep, and capture the image. Replace the install WIM with your captured image.

Which method makes sense for you depends on how often you're making new images, and how fast does the driver set change. If you're on older HW, new drivers (outside of security fixes) are doubtful and you can sysprep. On newer HW, your drivers might update quickly in a short time period and you might prefer to install from post-Setup. It's less work for you.

I love the second method and will give it a try on my next windows installation. Thank you, my friend.

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